The Cursed Carnival
September 27, 2023
Amidst the gloom of an abandoned carnival, Mia and her friends stumbled upon a mysterious tent at the far end. Its entrance beckoned with tattered curtains, and a voice from within whispered, “Come inside.”
Curiosity overpowering their unease, they entered to find an eerie, dimly lit room filled with antique toys. An old fortune teller automaton sat at a table, its glassy eyes springing to life. “Ask a question, but heed the consequences.”
Mia hesitated, then asked, “Will we find happiness?”
The automaton creaked and replied, “Happiness awaits, but not without sacrifice.”
The room darkened, and the automaton’s eyes glowed red. It screeched, “You have been marked,” as invisible tendrils wrapped around Mia’s wrist, branding her with an ominous symbol.
Terrified, they fled the tent, but the carnival seemed different, as if trapped in a never-ending night. Mia’s friends began to vanish one by one, pulled into the cursed tent.
Alone and desperate, Mia returned to the fortune teller automaton. “How do I save them?”
It whispered, “You must take their place.”
Mia accepted the bargain. The automaton released her friends, but she was now bound to the carnival, forced to whisper promises of happiness to unsuspecting visitors.
As the years passed, Mia’s friends grew old while she remained unchanged, a prisoner of the cursed carnival. She watched them from the shadows, her voice a haunting echo, warning others to stay away from the forsaken tent.